Marcail felt the warmth immediately return to her body, as if she were curled up with a warm, furry animal. She found herself nuzzling her head deeper into the feeling. She felt the sensation of safety and protection bubble inside her. She gave a small whimper, her hands seeking the warmth.
"Marcail, dear Elune, what happened?" The velvet voice asked her. She gave a grunt in response. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and her eyes adjusted to the light. A fire was made in a brazier in the corner. A dark figure danced in front of her vision, but she wasn't too sure what she was seeing.
"Marcail," the voice spoke again. It took a while for her to remember where she was. She as on an Alliance boat, still currently being held for ransom by a devilishly attractive night elf. She opened her eyes and blinked, registering the face in front of her. The face of that night elf looked deep into her eyes, searching for her consciousness. She felt his arms around her, as she realized that this was the second time she was waking up in his embrace. She felt his arm muscles tighten around her as she felt the warmth surrounding her. She was immediately filled with a warm feeling as her round bottom pressed into his lap. Her chest tightened and she swallowed hard.
"Uh," she felt a blush rising in her cheeks. "Hi." She winced, feeling dumb.
"Hi?" Galen's concerned gaze turned harsh. "You've been out for six hours strait and all you have to say is 'hi'?!" He demanded, releasing her and she wiggled the rest of her body on to the bed, trying to move the feeling of his rock hard muscles from her rear. It had left a burning imprint she feared that would take some time to fade. He stood from the bed, his large body blocking the light from the fire.
"Six hours?" The mage coughed, and tucked her caramel locks behind her ears. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play coy, tell me everything," he wagged his finger at her. His authoritarian style did little to comfort the mage. "I've been here the past six hours, watching you, holding you down, and keeping you from harming anyone on this ship. It was like you were possessed by a demon, you shook, thrashed, screamed and yelled things in Thalassian even I couldn't understand. You were impossible to wake from your spell." She cocked her head, almost incredulous at these accusations.
"I couldn't have possibly been asleep for six hours. I was trapped in my mind maybe half an hour at most."
"No, you've been screaming and chanting horrible things, over and over. Were you speaking in demonic?" His eyes grew in anger.
"Don't be silly, I don't even know the first thing about the foul demon tongue."
"You certainly fooled me for a while there." He narrowed his gaze, and then paced the room, not taking his gaze from her. "What happened?" He asked again.
"He came to me." She said, her gaze looking out of the port hole, out to the sea.
"What else happened?" The warrior's patience was clearly wearing thin, but she reflected on her conversation with her betrothed cousin. She decided to leave the part that she was betrothed to two men. It was hard to accept Kael'Thas' words, because how much did she trust to be true? She didn't want to believe any of it, but a part of her wondered why he would make up such a thing.
"H-he said he wanted me to get my magic back."
"That's it? There has to be more!"
"I don't know what he wants from me, either, Galen. Stop pumping me for information I do not have." She snapped, her eyes darting to him as he approached her. She scurried to the corner of the wall, trying to escape him and his anger.
"You are hiding something from me, and I know it!" He glowered at her, coming to a stop at the side of the bed. She glanced at his fists clenching and releasing.
"He told me not to trust you," she added quickly. "He said you would betray me just like the Alliance did back in the Second War."
"I highly doubt he came to you to give you a history lesson and remind you to reclaim your magic. You're still hiding something. The last time your mind was invaded by that monster, he made you murder in cold blood. "
"Well that's it! I'm not lying," she brought her face closer to his, knowing that she had just told one of the worst lies of her life. The warrior's features changed to cold, hard anger. The muscles in his neck constricted with tension.
"You, little elf, are so transparent that polished glass cannot compare." He glowered. She guiltily looked down to her lap, where she folded her hands together. She then noticed a thin and long chain of saronite, and a heavy pendent dangling from her neck. She followed the chain and then brought up a large, emerald pendant. Looking closely, she saw the strands of mana moving and flowing within the gem.
"Y-you gave me my magic back?" She looked up at him, making the connection as to where she got her power in her mind.
"I did not want to see him win," he continued his furrowed gaze. "I knew you could defeat him if you had your arcane magic."
"But you risked me running from you. You're risking it even now, by not snatching it from my neck." Her head tilted, wondering what could have possibly given him the courage to place the gem around her neck.
"Yes, I am," he answered her, locking in on her gaze, but made no move to reacquire the pendant.
"I could easily teleport home, right now. You do realize that?" Her emerald eyes searched his golden ones, trying to find a shred of sense.
"Then I would fight to keep you," his intense golden gaze sent a shiver down her neck. His words shook her, and so did his trust. He trusted her to use her magic to fight off Kael'Thas, and then not try to escape when she returned from her mind.
"If I made a single move that hinted I was about to cast a spell, what would you do, Galen?" She pushed, unsure as to why she was poking the beast.
"I would unleash the power I was holding back when we first fought." His gaze never left hers, still searing into her very being. She fought back another shiver. If this were a test of wills, she was failing. They sat there, staring at each other, neither willing to back down. Marcail was the first to break eye contact, looking away from him.
"As much as I want to go home," she began, begrudgingly removing the amulet from her neck. "I am too humbled by your trust in me to betray it." She opened the warrior's fist, and laid it in his palm, and then closed his fingers around it.
"You realize you just passed up a chance to escape." He raised an eyebrow.
"I do," she nodded, looking into his eyes, still touching his hand.
"This doesn't mean anything has changed," he pulled the chain over his head and tucked the pendant inside his shirt. She pulled her arms around her knees, hugging herself.
"I know."
"I will still guard access to your magic through this gem."
"Someday, I need to have my magic back," she warned. "I've never been without magic for this long in my life." He was silent. "Have you yet figured out how to reverse this spell? If my ransom is paid and I am free to leave, are you just going to leave me with this severed link?" She asked, partly curious to see his answer, but more concerned on how she would ever be whole again. Confusion played across his features, as she realized he hadn't even given it thought. Anger bubbled in the back of her throat.
"You aren't seriously planning on leaving me like this?" She gaped at his cruelty.
"Calm down!" He barked at her, as she instantly shut her mouth. "No, I won't. I will find a way to fix this, but only after I get my ransom." Her lips pursed as she lowered her gaze to her hands. Why does it always come down to money? Is that really all he wants? She heard Galen let out a sigh as his put his forehead in his palm, and gently rubbed his forehead.
Marcail's thoughts drifted back to her nightmare. She didn't want to believe that all the mana she siphoned could already be out. That would mean the addiction pains would start, and her meditations would be a more difficult. It also meant she was defenseless against her skulking cousin. What if Galen hadn't been there in the room with her in time? She could have killed the whole boat! The horrible, sinking feeling began to grow in her gut.
"Galen," she swallowed hard. "I could have hurt somebody just now."
"What? What do you mean?"
"I was trapped in that nightmare. I could have done the same thing. To Angelina and her crew!" Marcail felt a huge sensation of guilt and fear hit her at once. "Angelina has suffered so much already," she whimpered, thinking of how the captain would deal with the loss of her crew and ship.
"Well, you didn't."
"Stop saying things like that! This is serious."
"I said I would take care of it!" The warrior snapped at her, glaring into her green eyes.
"You can't watch me all the time!"
"So we're back to this, are we?" The warrior sighed, growing tired of the argument already.
"We never even resolved it!" She pointed out, as he rose from his seat and started to pull the chair back to the desk on the opposite side of the wall.
"We did resolve it. I said nothing would happen, and I would be able to restrain you." His shoulders shrugged as her back was to her.
"You stubborn fool!" She shouted at him, as she shifted to the side of the bed to stand, but then began to regret it as her stomach churned. As soon as her small, ivory feet touched the rough wooden planks of the floor, she tucked her head between her knees and bit her lip, trying to keep her body settled.
"Look at you," the warrior scoffed. "We are almost to Auberdine, and instead of resting up, you would prefer to use the last of your strength to fight me?"
"At least if I'm weaker, you would have a better chance at taking me out under another one of those spells." She mumbled, staring at the wooden floor.
"It won't come to that," he assured her, with a little more kindness in his voice than he intended. She heard his footsteps coming closer to her, and felt his presence stand to the side of her. She heard him sigh and felt the bed sink when he sat beside her. "I promised I would protect you from him." He explained. "If you can't trust me on anything, at least trust me on that."
"It's not you I don't trust," she looked up at him with sadness in her eyes. "It's what I'm capable of doing under his control."
"I understand," the warrior nodded, but didn't break eye contact. Suddenly, Marcail lost control of herself and let out a harsh sob that shook her whole body, before she turned away from the warrior and tried desperately to get herself under control. She tried biting her lip, and covering her face with her small hands, and holding her breath, but nothing seemed to stop her sobs. She was overwhelmed with her fears as well as her embarrassment for breaking down in front of Galen. Then, surprisingly, she felt large, warm arms wrapping around her body, and felt his large chest meeting her back. She felt the night elf's heartbeat against her, and his calm, rhythmic breathing. She didn't fight it, she couldn't let herself move away from his gentle embrace, it was too comforting in this moment. And she needed it too much. Instead, she let her head tilt to the side to rest on his arm.
"You have nothing to fear," he whispered, his breath hot on the back of her neck.
"You might be right," she replied in hushed tones, "but you have everything to fear."
.
They stood on the dock, waiting for the boat to take them to Teldrassil. Usually, there was more traffic, but today, they were all alone. The tall and powerful night elf warrior, and the small and delicate blood elf who was still wrapped in a large, dark cloak. Galen looked down to see her standing deathly still. They hadn't said much to each other since the boat ride, and the silence was beginning to unnerve him.
"Marcail," he began, and she turned her head to face him, the helm of the cloak covering part of her face. She looked miserable, the only thing he could do was put a hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her.
"The boat ride from Auberdine to Teldrassil is very short. See? You can see the island from here," he pointed across the ocean.
It didn't work very well, and her spirits sunk even lower when they spotted the boat to Teldrassil. Marcail played with the idea of jumping from the dock and swimming her way to shore, magic be damned! However, she had missed her chance, as Galen's grip on her shoulders tightened. As if he knew what she were thinking. She looked up at him, only to find him avoiding eye contact and guiding her closer to the boat that had landed and was starting to dock. As the bridge extended for them to board, she let out a woeful sigh. He dropped his arms to his sides, giving her the freedom to roam around the deck. She strolled to the other side of the boat and just rested her arms on the railing, her fears looming over her like a dark cloud.
.
The mist parted, revealing the island of Teldrassil. Monstrous trees all in cool colors gave an air of mystery, as the dock came into view.
"Galen." She finally spoke, and she removed the hood of the cloak, revealing that deep golden hair and emerald eyes, which looked at him with deep sincerity. He looked back into her eyes, as she clearly struggled with her thoughts. "I need to ask you something."
"Yes?" He raised a curious navy blue brow at her.
"I've been thinking about this long and hard. I know you are a noble warrior of your word. You've kept me safe from the Alliance so far, and I thank you." He gave her a slow nod, unsure why she was telling him this as he searched her eyes for any clues. "As a warrior of your word, I want you to promise me something. I thought I could fight Kael'Thas on my own, but I will not have more innocent blood on my hands."
"Where are you going with this?"
"Galen, if I am to fall under the spell again, and you can't pull me back, I want you to take my head."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He suddenly felt a wave of shock and anger rush over him, especially with her graphic detail of how she wanted him to end her life. "I am not-" She put a hand up to stop him.
"You don't understand what it's like to take innocent life and be responsible and not responsible at the same time. I'm not saying I have never killed before. I've killed plenty in Northrend, but all was a fair fight, and I never attacked first. This way of killing, I sneak up on them and steal their life source to make myself stronger. I will no longer sit in the passenger seat of this mess."
"You are just going to give up?" He glowered at her, angry at her sudden cowardice.
"It's not giving up, I can't fight him." She glared back. "You have no idea of how hard I've fought with this control. I won't have anyone else die under my control."
"You stupid, silly girl," he turned abruptly, angrily scouring the approaching island to ignore her. But Marcail wasn't having any of that.
As swift as a rogue, she grabbed the hilt of his sword with both of her hands and unsheathed it from it's holster. Immediately, Galen tried to grab it back, but she snatched it just out of his reach. Pointing the blade to his chest, she narrowed her eyes.
"You must promise me, you will take this blade and run it through me if you cannot stop me." Her eyes flashed in desperation, as she teetered on the edge of begging him.
"Just what do you plan on doing with that?" He crossed his arms in front of him, showing he didn't fear her threat. "You honestly think you can fight me?"
"I will if I must," she glared.
"If you're gonna hold a sword, at least do it right," he rolled his eyes, strolling around her. She tried to follow him with the point of the blade, but Galen grabbed her forearm and spun himself behind her. He grasped both of her arms, and pressed his large body into hers. She felt her cheeks grow warm at the contact.
"To truly wield a sword like this one, you need to brace your arms better. There would be no power in your swing with the way you're holding it."
He moved her arms into a better bracing position, and moved her hands farther apart. He hunched over her figure more, as he placed his foot on the inside of hers to nudge it. As he explained the technique, she felt his warm breath on the back of her neck. She was immediately reminded of his soft lips pressed against her pressure points. The thought sent hot electricity through her body.
"Spread your legs more." Marcail felt her whole face flush with those words, as she wanted to freeze up, but she complied.
"Lower your stance a bit," he commented, putting some of his weight on her until she bent her knees.
"Good." She bit her lip, holding back the flooding desire in her veins. As soon as he had gotten behind her, he was pulling away from her, and he stepped in front of her.
"There, now go ahead and strike me down," Galen said nonchalantly.
"W-what?" She asked, in a soft, confused voice. All trace of anger was removed from her face, and was replaced with heavily lidded eyes and parted lips.
"Weren't you going to attack me if I didn't agree to you demands?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and shifting his weight into a relaxed stance.
"Y-yes," she stammered, her head was dizzy in the different thoughts drifting around. Confusion, passion, frustration, lust, and fear all seemed to swarm her. What had just happened? Didn't she have control of the situation?
"Then go ahead. I'm standing right here," he opened his arms, giving her a clear shot. She whimpered in response, hesitating on what her next move was. Finally, after a few more seconds of staring, she dropped her defenses, handing the blade hilt first over to him in defeat.
"If it will help you sleep at night," Galen took the blade and sheathed it in it's rightful place at his belt. "I will stop you from harming anyone in every way I can. Though killing you is my very last option."
She looked up at him, catching his gaze.
"Thank you," she whispered, turning her attention back to the island, as The Moonspray slowed down to a stop to dock. His promise would have to do. A platform was placed across the gap between the dock and the boat, and she felt a tug on the helm of the warrior's cloak as she looked up to see him pulling the hood over her head.